Skip to main content
Log in

Effects of LSD-25 on avoidance behavior and locomotor activity in mice

  • Original Investigations
  • Published:
Psychopharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

C57BL/6 (C57) mice were tested in a shuttle box under the influence of LSD-25 in two sets of experiments.

In the first set, the pretrial administrations of LSD (0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 mg/kg) were followed by dose-related performance improvements. In the second set, the posttrial administration of LSD (0.2 mg/kg) immediately after each experimental session improved the performances of the mice. No effect was evident when the hallucinogen was injected 2 h after training, thus showing that LSD improved the memory processes of the C57 mice in these experimental conditions.

Dose-related activity depressant effects were evident in a third set of experiments, carried out in a toggle-floor box.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Banerjee, U.: Acquisition of conditioned avoidance responses in rats under the influence of addicting drugs. Psychopharmacologia 22, 133–143 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bignami, G., Robustelli, F., Yankü, I., Bovet, D.: Action de l'amphetamine et de quelques agents psychotropes sur l'acquisition d'un conditionnement de fuite et d'évitement chez des rats selectionnés en fonction du niveau particulièrement bas de leurs performances. C. R. Acad. Sci. 260, 4273–4278 (1965)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bignami, G.: Facilitation of avoidance acquisition by LSD-25 Possible effects on drive modulating systems. Psychopharmacologia 25, 146–151 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Boissier, J. R., Simon, P.: Evaluation of experimental techniques in the psychopharmacology of emotion. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci., 159, 898–914 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bovet, D., Bovet-Nitti, F., Oliverio, A.: Genetic aspects of learning memory in mice. Science 163, 139–149 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bovet-Nitti, F.: Facilitation of simultaneous visual discrimination in four inbred strains of mice. Psychopharmacologia 14, 193–199 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Brawley, P., Duffield, J. C.: The pharmacology of hallucinogens. Pharmacol. Rev. 24, 31–66 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Castellano, C.: Effects of mescaline and psilocin on acquisition, consolidation and performance of light-dark discrimination in two inbred strains of mice. Psychopharmacology 59, 129–137 (1978)

    Google Scholar 

  • Castellano, C.: Effects of mescaline and amphetamine on simultaneous visual discrimination in two inbred strains of mice. Psychopharmacology (in press 1979)

  • Dandyia, P. C., Gupta, B. D., Gupta, M. L., Patni, S. K.: Effects of LSD on open field performance in rats. Psychopharmacologia 15, 333–340 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Dixon, A. K.: Evidence of catecholamine mediation in the ‘aberrant’ behaviour induced by lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in the rat. Experientia 24, 743–747 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Domino, E. F., Caldwell, D. F., Henke, R.: Effects of psychoactive agents on acquisition of conditioned pole jumping in rats. Psychopharmacologia 8, 285–289 (1965)

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, A. L.: Experimental design in psychological research. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston 1960

    Google Scholar 

  • Eleftheriou, B. E.: Regional brain norepinephrine turnover rates in four strains of mice. Neuroendocrinology 7, 329–336 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Elias, M. F.: Differences in reversal learning between two inbred mouse strains. Psychon. Sci. 20, 179–180 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fontenay, M., Le Cornex, J., Zaczinska, M., Debarle, M. C., Simon, P., Boissier, J. R.: Problèmes posés par l'utilisation de trois tests de comportement du rat pour l'étude des médicaments psychotropes. J. Pharmacol. 2, 243–254 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, C. L.: Effects of LSD-25 and amphetamine on a running response in the rat. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 2, 104–109 (1960)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirshorn, I. D., Winter, J. C.: Mescaline and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) as discriminative stimuli. Psychopharmacologia 22, 64–71 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Izquierdo, I.: Relations between orienting, pseudoconditioned and conditioned responses in the shuttle box: A pharmacological analysis by means of LSD and dibenamine. Behav. Biol. 15, 193–205 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kahn, J., Gorelick, D. A., Bridger, W. H.: Mescaline facilitates retention of passive avoidance in rats. Physiol. Psychol. 2, 120–122 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kempf, E., Greilsamer, J., Mack, G., Mandel, P.: Correlation of behavioral difference in three strains of mice with differences in brain amines. Nature New Biol. 287, 483–485 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kempf, E., Gill, M., Mack, G., Mandel, P.: Effects of acute morphine administration on the catecholamine metabolism of three strains of mice. Psychopharmacol. Comm. 2, 241–250 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • King, A. R., Martin, I. L., Melville, A.: Reversal learning enhanced by lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD): concomitant rise in brain 5-Hydroxytryptamine levels. Br. J. Pharmacol. 52, 419–426 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lison, L.: Statistica applicata alla biologia sperimentale. Milano: Casa Editrice Ambrosiana 1961

    Google Scholar 

  • McGaugh, J. L.: Time dependent processes in memory storage. Science 134, 328–342 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  • Meier, G. W., Hatfield, J. L., Foshee, D. P.: Genetic and behavioral aspects of pharmacologically induced arousal. Psychopharmacologia 4, 81–90 (1963)

    Google Scholar 

  • Menon, M. K., Clark, W. G., Masuoka, D. T.: Possible involvement of the central dopaminergic system in the antireserpine effect of LSD. Psychopharmacology 52, 291–297 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliverio, A., Castellano, C., Puglisi Allegra, S.: A genetic approach to behavioral plasticity and rigidity. In: Theoretical advances in behavioral genetics, J. R. Royce, ed., NATO Adv. Study Inst. New York: Plenum 1979 (in press)

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliverio, A., Eleftheriou, B. E., Bailey, D. W.: Exploratory activity: genetic analysis of its modification by scopolamine and amphetamine. Physiol. Behav. 10, 893–899 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliverio, A., Messeri, P.: An analysis of single-gene effects on avoidance, maze, wheel running and exploratory behavior in the mouse. Behav. Biol. 8, 771–783 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, M. H. T., Darlington, D., Bradley, P. B.: The effect of chlorpromazine or d-lysergic acid diethylamide on one-trial passive avoidance. In: Neuropsychopharmacology, Vol. 4. Proc. of the 4th Meeting Coll. Int. Neuro-Psychopharmacologicum, D. Bente and P. B. Bradley, eds. New York: Elsevier 1965

    Google Scholar 

  • Sansone, M., Castellano, C., Messeri, P.: Facilitation of avoidance behaviour by LSD-25 and mescaline in hamsters. Pharmacol. Res. Commun. 6, 369–375 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Schechter, M. D., Rosencrans, J. A.: Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) as a discriminative cue: drugs with similar stimulus properties. Psychopharmacologia 26, 313–316 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sprott, R. L.: Inheritance of avoidance learning. The Jackson Laboratory's Ann. Rep. 42, 78 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Stoff, D. M., Mandel, I. J., Gorelick, D. A., Bridger, W. H.: Acute and chronic effects of LSD and 3,4-Dimetoxyphenylethylamine on shuttle-box escape/avoidance in rats. Psychopharmacologia 36, 301–312 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sugrue, M. F.: A study of the role of noradrenaline in behavioral changes produced in the rat by psychotomimetic drugs. Br. J. Pharmacol. 35, 243–252 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Taeschler, M.: Pharmacology of psychotomimetic agents. In: Neuropsychopharmacology, H. Brill, J. O. Cole, P. Deniker, H. Hippius, P. B. Bradley, eds., pp. 393–397. Amsterdam: Excerpta Medica 1967

    Google Scholar 

  • Taeschler, M., Weidmann, H., Cerletti, A.: The effect of LSD on reaction time in a conditioned avoidance reaction and in the analgesia test. Helv. Physiol. Pharmacol. Acta 18, 43–49 (1960)

    Google Scholar 

  • Waser, P. G., Martin, A., Heer-Carcano, L.: The effect of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and LSD on the acquisition of an active avoidance response in the rat. Psychopharmacologia 46, 249–254 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • Weissman, A.: Drugs and retrograde amnesia. Int. Rev. Neurobiol. 10, 167–198 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolbach, A. B., Miner, E., Isbell, H.: Comparison of psilocin with psilocybin, mescaline and LSD-25. Psychopharmacologia 3, 219–223 (1962)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Castellano, C. Effects of LSD-25 on avoidance behavior and locomotor activity in mice. Psychopharmacology 62, 145–149 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00427128

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00427128

Key words

Navigation